A little less than a year later and we’re back with a new season of Yellowstone! The Season 5 premiere entitled, “One Hundred Years Is Nothing”, kicks off with John Dutton (Kevin Costner) becoming the Governor of Montana. As John reluctantly settles into the power of his new office, he makes a bold move to protect the Yellowstone by shutting down Market Equities’ Paradise Valley airport and hotel project. Though his thoughts are always on ways to protect the Yellowstone, John must come to terms with the fact that his new duties will pull him away from the home that he’s working so hard to protect.
Written by series co-creator Taylor Sheridan and directed by Stephen Kay, this episode sets up the main story lines for all the major players this season. Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) deals with her guilty conscience regarding her past wrongs against her husband Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) even as she prepares her father for public office. Rip takes on an expanded role on the ranch, while Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) puts aside his ambition to serve his family after being blackmailed by his sister. Away from the political fray, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) faces personal trauma after his pregnant wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) suffers a miscarriage after she and son Tate (Brecken Merrill) get into a car accident on the way to the hospital.
Amid unsettling prophecies from Angela Blue Thunder (Q’orianka Kilcher) and everyone’s favorite foreman, here are five things of note in the Yellowstone Season 5 premiere.
A TERRIFYING TEAM-UP
One duo not celebrating John Dutton’s winning the gubernatorial election? Market Equities CEO Caroline Warner (the great Jackie Weaver) and her righthand man Ellis Steele (John Emmet Tracy). As she watches John’s brief victory speech, Caroline throws her drink against the wall in anger and screams, “he will shut us down on day one.” Keeping his cool, Ellis gestures to a forlorn Jamie on the TV screen and observes: “Look at him. His father’s the governor. He’ll be next. This should be the happiest day of his life…so why isn’t he smiling?”
A crack in the Dutton’s seemingly united front is just what Caroline has been waiting for and she springs into action: “Get Sarah Atwood out here. We’re taking the gloves off, Ellis. I’m tired of playing with these fucking hillbillies.” After getting burned by Beth last season, Caroline isn’t taking any more chances. One can only assume that Sarah (to be played by 1883 star Dawn Olivieri) is a fixer and a force to be reckoned with. If Market Equities can team up with a desperate and angry Jamie, who knows what damage to John they could do together.
ANGELA BLUE THUNDER REPEATS HERSELF
After not appearing in Season 4, Angela Blue Thunder is back and poised to be a thorn in Thomas Rainwater’s (Gil Birmingham) side. Ever since her first appearance in Season 3, Episode 4, Angela has made it clear that Chairman Rainwater has been far too passive in his quest to reclaim the Dutton land for the Nation. In Season 3, Episode 10, Angela urged him to take what is theirs by criminal means and subterfuge, which he refused to do, stating he wants to recover their land legally. She warns him: “They make rules for the slave and they make rules for the masters. You’re following the slave rules. But if you follow the masters’ rules, then you’ll kill him, and give us our land back.”
In the Season 5 premiere, Angela sits behind Thomas at John’s inauguration. Angela noticeably seethes as John swears to protect Montana against “all enemies, foreign and domestic.” She leans forward and whispers into Thomas’s ear: “you had a chance to be rid of him, you did nothing and he grew stronger. It’s the slave rules for you now and it’s all your fault.” Clearly unsettled by Angela’s remarks, Thomas is left to ponder her words, but will he take them to heart?
THE GOVERNORSHIP WAS ALWAYS MEANT FOR JAMIE
In Season 1, John was supportive of Jamie’s political ambitions, but on the condition that Jamie run for office when it would best benefit the family and the Yellowstone. Not an unreasonable ask, right? However, when Jamie sped up the timeline by running for Attorney General without his father’s permission, his selfish nature was revealed and their relationship took a tumultuous turn with betrayal piled on betrayal.
After the inauguration party, Jamie and Beth squabble in the car. John puts a stop to their bickering, snapping at Jamie: “This is all your fault. This was never supposed to be me. This was supposed to be you.” “It could have been me. It should have been me,” Jamie responds in disbelief, “I could have won.” John straightens his tie and replies, “Oh I have no doubt, but then what?” Spineless as he is, Jamie had no answer.
SHANE SMITH AND THE SAINTS
Did you catch the name of the band at John Dutton’s inauguration party at the Yellowstone? It’s Shane Smith & the Saints, a Texas band known for their high energy performances and gorgeous four-part harmonies. Yellowstone fans should be familiar with the country music act already because they’ve been name-dropped on the show before. In Season 4, Episode 3, Taylor Sheridan’s horse trader Travis Wheatley announces to his crew that he’s about to play “Shane Smith and the fucking Saints” before blasting their song “All I See Is You” on their roundabout journey back to the 6666. Since Travis and John run in the same circles, it makes sense that John would be a fan of the band too.
RIP’S PROPHECY
While the rest of the ranch celebrates John’s inauguration, Rip watches the festivities from a grassy knoll overlooking the scene. As Beth goes to sit with her husband, Rip tells her: “I never think about what happens a year from now or ten years from now. I’m always worried about today with an eye on tomorrow, but when I look down there, 10 years worries me.” When Beth argues that John ran for office to protect their home, Rip is more than skeptical.
Rip goes on to compare John’s victory party to Nero playing his fiddle as Rome burned. “This reminds me of that,” Rip says simply, “he’s gonna lose this place.” As Beth contemplates Rip’s Cassandra moment, Rip calmly hands her his whiskey and leaves her to celebrate with the rest of the ranch as he heads off to bed. 4AM comes pretty early on the Yellowstone, and, God knows, there’s much work to be done.